Failure of the Well
by missmocha77
Summary: During a battle, Inuyasha takes the jewel shards and pushes Kagome down the well without a way to return. A year later, the well starts working again. However, she is blasted to a past where Naraku rules, and a furry fox friend has grown up.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Inuyasha ain't mine.

OOO

"Kagome!" Inuyasha cried out as one of Naraku's tentacles threatened to drive her through. With minimal effort, Kagome drew back the bowstring, released it, and purified the awful thing. It burned up into ashes, no longer able to reform. She sighed in relief, but it was short lived. Another came rushing toward her, and she was too slow to even think about getting another arrow. Luckily, Inuyasha came to her rescue.

"Idiot! What are you thinking?" Kagome just shook her head.

It was bad. Miroku had been poisoned, and Sango was bleeding through many orifices, some made by Naraku. Kirara stayed by her side, fending off all the minor demons away. Even Shippou had been injured. The fox kit was groaning in pain on the ground. Kagome's lower lip trembled as she and Inuyasha looked at the scene. The wolf tribe, Sesshomaru, and other various demons and humans were participating in this battle, but they were still losing. Badly.

Naraku only needed one more shard before the jewel was complete.

Kagome looked up to Inuyasha. There was some foreign emotion present in his eyes. Guilt? Fear? It scared her to no end. She knew it was only so long now before they could no longer be optimistic. That point was coming soon. Setting her jaw in determination, Kagome stood up and aimed an arrow to the middle of the disgusting demon's body. She released it, and it hit right on the mark. However, it barely had any effect on the demon, and he roared with laughter. Inuyasha grabbed the bow and arrows away from Kagome. "Stop that!" he snapped.

Kagome felt the urge to say the "s" word, but she knew now was not the time. "No, we can't just let him win!" she retorted, reaching for her weapon again. Slapping her hands away, Inuyasha's face contorted in grief.

"No, Kagome. We have to give up. You're not safe here."

Kagome gasped. "Inuyasha, no..." He looked at her straight in the eyes, then to the last jewel shard remaining, the one hanging around her neck. He snatched it off roughly. Kagome looked at him angrily. "What are you doing?"

"You're going back home, and you're not coming back."

Indignant, she protested. Her arms flailed out, trying to take back what was rightfully hers. However, she lost her balance, and Inuyasha saw his opportunity. He gave her chest one firm push, and she fell with a cry. The last words she heard before the world went black were "Goodbye, Kagome."

OOO

As the world came into focus once more, Kagome realized that the awful, salty liquid called tears was running down her face. She rubbed her eyes and saw her cat, Buyo, staring down at her. A little more than upset, she glared at her cat. "You were the one who started this," she muttered, climbing up the ladder to the surface. She scratched her cat's ears, and he purred appreciatively, leading to Kagome withdrawing her hand. She sighed sadly, throwing her head back, closing her eyes, and trying to hold back those traitorous tears. Ultimately, she failed.

Walking out of the well house, she spared a glance at the Goshinboku. What a magnificent tree...This was its fault too. Stupid Inuyasha. She could have stayed to help with the fighting. She just felt useless and unworthy now. Weak.

She took off her shoes as she entered the shrine, not even bothering to announce her presence. However, Souta came to greet her. "Kagome!" he gasped. "You're hurt! Mom! Kagome's back!" Kagome closed her eyes in pain, her little brother's voice grating on her ears. She unconsciously put a hand to her head, finding that there was blood there. Ah. So this was what Souta had been so afraid of. Kagome's mother came skipping down the stairs along with Souta.

"Kagome," she said, warm, motherly concern laced through her voice. It was just too much for Kagome to bare.

She gasped shakily as fell to the floor, the whole world disappearing for a while.

OOO

A year had passed. Life had gone on painfully. Kagome always looked out the window while at school, wondering what had happened to her friends in the Feudal Era. Were they dead? Well, by now that was a given. No human could survive for five hundred years, but demons could. Still, she had not sensed a demon presence in this world for a long time.

The bell rang.

Kagome stood up, dusted off her uniform, and gathered up her books. She frowned slightly while perusing her high-school uniform. The skirt was extremely short, very revealing, but then again, the junior high ones had been really short, too. Sometimes, Kagome would catch boys at her school (even teachers!) staring at her legs, and she wished that she had an Inuyasha to protect her; she didn't so she had to make do.

"Kagome!" Eri called out. "You coming to McDonald's to study with us?" Kagome smiled.

"Mm!"

OOO

"So Kagome..." Yuka said slyly. "How's your two-timing boyfriend doing?"

"No, no!" Ayumi chirped. "The platonic one. Get it right!"

Kagome sighed. "I already told you guys. I'm not seeing him anymore." _More like I can't. _

Ayumi gasped while Yuka and Eri shared astonished looks on their faces. Eri tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for Kagome to continue. She finally gave up and asked.

"Who initiated it?"

"He did," Kagome muttered sadly. _It's more like he had no choice... _

Ayumi sniffled. "Poor Kagome-chan!"

Kagome laughed and dramatically put the backside of her hand on her forehead. "Woe is me."

The girls all laughed together, albeit halfheartedly.

OOO

After that long day, Kagome wanted nothing more than to do lay down and sleep. So she did. Without changing clothes, without taking a bath, without eating dinner. She was just so exhausted that none of that seemed to matter anymore.

However, her peaceful slumber was interrupted by the pulsing of something she had not felt in a long time. She immediately shot up in her bed, her disarrayed, long hair falling into place.

"Shikon no Tama?" she whispered to herself, trembling slightly.

It was coming from the well.

She lifted her bed covers and slipped her feet onto the floor. She grabbed the nearest jacket and put on a pair of mismatching socks. Scaling the stairs, she looked back up once. It would only be for a little while... She'd come straight back after checking it out. It was probably nothing, anyway. A false alarm. While unlocking the door, she tapped her shoes on, too excited to even think if they were sensible or not.

Kagome couldn't help herself. She ran to the well house, overjoyed at the feel of the jewel shards for once. Slamming the door open, she ran down the steps and opened the well covers, peering into the seemingly endless darkness. Noting that there was no ladder, she draped it over the side of the well for climbing back up.

Then Kagome jumped.

That familiar, blue warmth enveloped her, tickling her senses. She giggled childishly, relishing in the feel of the time skip. The well was working again. Then the glow stopped.

Kagome hit water.

She panicked. There hadn't been any water in the well a year ago. She struggled to wade up to the top, her lungs burning for air. Once she reached the surface, she gasped and breathed unevenly, too shaken by the event to think otherwise.

Kagome started to observe her surroundings. There were significantly less trees, the greenery more like brownery. She could not hear the chirping of birds or any other animals. The whole place was...

Dead.

Yes, dead was the word. Everything was so ugly. It hadn't been that way a year ago. Quickly, Kagome searched for her favorite tree. To her dismay, she couldn't find it for quite some time, but eventually it turned up.

It had been cut to a stump.

That was impossible! It still existed in the present day so why wasn't it standing now? It didn't make sense.

Kagome felt the blood drain out of her face. Maybe more had changed since she had been away.

Maybe...she wasn't in the right time.

OOO

Thank you for reading.

Could I trouble you to review?


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to kate, MirokuLover, death raye, and Dashita Tichou for reviewing. :) Means a lot. Thanks to MissShelz and death raye for alerting/ faving.

Disclaimer: Rights to Inuyasha do not belong to me.

Kagome took off her socks, wringed the water out of them, and waited for her clothes and body to dry.

She smoothed her hand on the dying grass, the scratchy feeling making her hand itchy. Panic welled up within her, threatening to burst out any moment. Kagome didn't know why this place was so different. Surely, she couldn't be in the wrong time. Maybe many things had just changed in one year. Maybe...she was just imagining things. Maybe she was in the wrong spot, and this really wasn't the Goshinboku. Oh, she knew it! That had to be it!

She checked her socks and shoes and found that they were dry. For some reason, it was sunny here, daytime. _Okay, Kagome. You can do this, _she encouraged herself. _Just find the village and everything will be okay. Everything's all right. _

Although it was bright outside and there was a path, Kagome still found herself tripping on random roots that were in her path. She groaned aloud and picked herself up, tiring of the winding route.

"Why isn't it straight, this road?" she fumed to herself. "It's so badly made. Random roots and trees! Trees! Popping out of nowhere!" She let out a little, feminine grunt of anger and continued on her way. She eventually put a stomp in her step, hoping that that would convey her feelings to the road.

Kagome eventually heard faint sounds of bustling around. It seemed to be a little too busy to her, but she ignored it.

Until she heard a woman scream.

She froze in her steps.

"Please!" the woman shrieked. "Give me back my son! I'm begging you; don't take him with you! He's too young! Take me instead." A feral growl came out of someone's mouth.

"Be quiet, bitch!" The sharp sound of a slap resonated throughout the air. It was then Kagome realized that she was trembling.

"How horrible," she whispered. "What are they doing there?" Ignoring her instinct, she went forward. As she neared the village, she hid behind a tree.

It was terrifying.

There were humans and demons alike, bound in shackles. They had barely any clothing on, and their feet were heavily callused and bleeding, implying that they had been walking for quite some time. And their backs... There were insignias scorched into them and wounds all over the place. Kagome unconsciously gasped but covered her mouth when she found that she did so.

_It can't be! It's only been a year! And this wasn't in any of our history textbooks... How could such an awful thing be happening in Kaede's village?_

Suddenly, Kagome heard deep laughter behind her. She whipped her head around. "No..." she whimpered, her face contorting in fear..

A giant, ugly beast had been standing there the whole time, waiting for her to notice him. Kagome frowned due to her slip. She was clearly out of practice of sensing demons. It couldn't helped, though. In the present time, she had never sensed a demon, with the exception of the Noh mask.

The serpent demon chuckled once more. "Little girl, what do you think you are doing here? This is a restricted area. You're supposed to be with all the other slaves." Oh, shit. Slaves. "And why are you wearing so much clothing?"

"Stay away from me," Kagome hissed, backing into the tree. The demon let his forked tongue slip over his grimy lips.

"I see you haven't been broken. It'll be my pleasure to do so." He gripped her arm painfully, claws digging in and drawing blood. In a wave of fear, blinding light shot out of Kagome, purifying the demon. He was instantly dead, though still in one piece. Worrying her lip, Kagome shifted so it wouldn't touch her, the corpse. Her miko powers were definitely rusty, due to the lack of the demon being reduced to ashes. She tried to sooth her pulsating arm and rapidly beating heart, but it was too soon for that. It was also too late to find a place to hide.

There were three more demons approaching, surrounding her. They looked furious, and Kagome knew she had been the cause of it.

"Weak human, how did you kill my brother?" one screamed, running towards her, blade ready at its side. Kagome quickly closed her eyes, not wanting to look death in the face. _I'm not ready, I don't want to die! But there's no Inuyasha here to save me this time. _All she could think was _no, no, no, no, no._

A gurgled cry forced its way out of the lizard demon's throat after a blade had been mercilessly driven in and out of him. The deep singing of flames coaxed Kagome to let her eyes open a smidge. It was fire, that much was sure because it was burning the demons into smithereens, all of them, but it definitely wasn't normal fire. Blue.

"Fox fire," Kagome breathed, letting her bottom fall to the base of the tree. This wasn't the fox fire she was used to, though. It was strong, unwavering. It could protect and destroy. The very thought sent shivers down Kagome's spine. It was frightening, to say the least. Shippo's fox fire had never been like th-

"Kagome?" a tenor, masculine voice inquired of her. She lifted her head to look at her savior. Her pretty features instantly contorted in confusion.

"What...who are you?" she shrilled. "Why did you save me?" she demanded.

The man raised a brow. "You don't remember me?" he asked, nearing her body even more. Kagome squinted her eyes, as if to see something small clearly. This man had long, auburn hair, and he was _tall_. His tail was glistening in the light, and it looked so soft and silky. Kagome was drawn into the temptation of stroking it. When it twitched familiarly, Kagome knew. She realized that this was wrong.

"Shippo?" she whispered, horror painting itself on her face.

* * *

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	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Rights to Inuyasha do not belong to me.

* * *

A similar reaction had played itself over Shippo's face. Shocked. Horrified for her. "Kagome, what are you doing here?" he demanded, hopping down from a tree. "You should be safe, in your own time! Damn, you shouldn't even be alive!"

"I-I-I-" she stammered, unable to manage one coherent sentence, let alone word. "Th-this isn't right. This isn't the right time."

Shippo narrowed his eyes at her. "You're right. We've got to get you back to the well now. You can't be here, Kagome. You shouldn't be here. The well sealed up right after you left."

Kagome shook her head, shuddering once. "No. That's not what I mean. Shippo-chan... right?" God, he was beautiful. With a slender, soft nose. High cheekbones. Pointed ears. Gleaming, emerald eyes. Long, red hair, both on top and on his tail. "You've changed."

Shippo's lips set into a thin line. "You haven't."

Kagome looked him in the eyes. "That's exactly what's wrong. This is the wrong time. In my time, only a year has passed."

Shippo's eyes widened marginally. "That's-that's impossible. All of this is impossible. Kagome, over two hundred years have passed here."

Kagome suddenly felt like she was suffocating. Large, invisible hands encircled her throat while her lungs contracted, cutting off her supply of air. She fell to her knees. Shippo, eyes filling with concern, ran over to her and gripped her shoulders firmly before she could collapse backwards.

"Kagome," he rasped heavily, a quaky breath escaping his lungs. "You have to pull yourself together. We can find a way to fix this."

"Where is everybody? What happened to them-"As her volume grew higher, Shippo cut her off, placing a rough, callused hand over her mouth and touching his index finger to his lips.

"Not here," he mouthed, a determined glint highlighting his eyes. Eyes widening, Kagome understood. In the distance, she heard marching footsteps, perfectly in order and posing a threat. Her eyes softened as she nodded, blinking slowly. Shippo brought her to a squatting position before turning around and offering his back to her.

"Wh-what? No, I couldn't possibly do that!"

Shippo rolled his eyes. "No offense, Kagome, but you run as fast as a turtle. You were fine with it when it was Inuyasha."

"But Inuyasha was Inuyasha, and you were so small..." she trailed off.

Shippo merely shrugged. "I'm bigger than he was." He then stared wide-eyed at Kagome, cursing at himself for his mistake in wording.

Kagome froze. "Th-than he was? What aren't you telling me, Shippo-chan?" Her voice continued to get louder and louder as she asked Shippo all the questions he couldn't answer at the moment, or the poor girl would burst into tears, but he had to find a way to shut her up so he wouldn't be caught.

"Kagome, please. You need to calm down," he attempted, but it was no use. Just like the way she had always been, she got angry, volume increasing, eventually screaming at the top of her lungs. Shippo had had enough. He slammed one hand over her mouth, causing Kagome to squeal, then whimper.

"Shut up, Kagome!" he hissed. "You don't understand; this time is so much more dangerous than it was two hundred years ago." Of course, the stupid girl would not listen and started struggling in his grasp, kicking at him.

She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a demon walk up to them, chuckling maliciously.

"Shit!" Shippo whispered, and Kagome frowned at him.

"Language-"

"Shut UP, Kagome!" So she shut up. It wasn't like she knew what was going on anyway, since Shippo wouldn't explain anything! She turned her attention to the demons once more.

"Well, well, well. There you are, Shippo. We've had a hard time locating you these couple of months, eh? You rebels are always so hard to find."

Kagome's mind whirled. What -excuse the language- the hell were they talking about? Rebels? What were they rebelling against? They couldn't possibly be talking about Shippo...

Could they?

"Naraku has been looking for you for three years, you little maggot! You sure know how to hide." Shippo was silent, the only evidence of his irritation being the twitching of his sleek tail. He finally sighed and began to speak.

"Look, I'm not here to cause any trouble-"

"Fuck that," the larger demon interjected, then smiled lustily. "Say, who's the broad with you? She looks...delectable."

Shippo's aura suddenly became dangerous and his anger palpable. "Touch her, and I'll rip you apart!" he hissed, claws flexing and at the ready.

The demon chuckled, disgusting Kagome, then licked his lips. "I'm going to steal your whore from you and-" He never finished his sentence.

Shippo had ripped the demon's larynx out of his throat, not even giving time for the creature to choke to his death. The eyes became glassy as the disgusting thing fell forward, hitting the ground hard. Well, the bigger they are, the harder they fall, right?

The putrid stench invaded Kagome's senses, and she became green at the scent of death. It had been so long since she had smelled it that she had grown unaccustomed to it. She felt food particles start to emerge from her esophagus and desperately tried to swallow it down, but it was no use. She dropped to her knees, retching.

Eyes filling with concern, Shippo followed suit and rubbed her back soothingly as she emptied the contents of her stomach. "Kagome! What's happening, are you okay?" Then his face froze in realization. "Shit! I forgot you might not be used to that smell anymore. Dammit, I'm sorry!" Kagome, tears stinging at her eyes while coughing out the last chunks, shook her head slowly.

"It's not your fault. I just forgot how...terrible it could be," she answered, giving him a weak smile. "Don't worry about it, Shippo-chan."

"No, really-"

"Shippo-chan, let's-let's just go, please. Please?" Kagome begged, tears welling up in her eyes before it all broke loose. She bawled openly, letting her face fall into her hands and catch the tears like precious jewels. Shippo could no longer take it. It was all his fault she was miserable and crying. He hadn't considered her feelings at all, opting for being insensitive instead. She must have been so confused and hurt, and it wasn't going to get any better from here on out. Trying to comfort the girl, he enveloped her in his strong arms, her head fitting awkwardly into the crook of his neck. Warm, salty droplets dripped down his neck and further to his chest. They stayed like that for a while, Kagome feeling safe in the warmth of a larger human being, and Shippo feeling slightly embarrassed, his cheeks warming.

He had always known Kagome was attractive, but only vaguely so. Anyway, he had been a kid, so why would it matter to him? He realized the attraction on a whole different level now. Unlike many of the other women in this time, Kagome was all soft skin and curves, melding against his form seamlessly. The muscle she had gained in the past years had weathered away due to a year of no physical conditioning and general inactivity. Kagome also had big eyes and plump, moistened lips, only slightly chapped from dehydration. Her hair was dark and well kept; he noted that it was silky as well when he ran his fingers through the black tresses.

Then her scent.

Her scent was odd, yes, but it was driving him crazy. She smelled of something familiar that pleased his nose, almost making him sigh in contentment, yet he could not put his finger on what it was. Ah! It was white peaches and a hint of jasmine. This sudden change unnerved him. He knew that her scent was pleasant when he was little, but things were different now.

It wasn't so much that she had changed. It was he who had grown up, become a man, and considering his age, it was the prime time to be selecting a lifelong partner, so he had become more susceptible to the temptations of women. He had been the one to change, not she, but he had the feeling that she was equally nervous with this difference. As if reading his mind, Kagome giggled.

"It used to be me comforting you when you had nightmares." Shippo's face colored.

"That was a long time ago," he defended himself, turning a exquisite shade of fuchsia that contrasted badly with his hair. Kagome smiled warmly.

"Not for me." The two sat in silent before Kagome spoke again. "You've really grown. I'm sorry, it's just a bit too much to take in at the moment."

Shippo gave her a crooked grin of understanding. "It's okay. Though it is natural, you weren't there to experience it. I shouldn't have been so harsh." Slapping his knees, he straightened his haunches, and Kagome marveled at his full height, also noticing that his legs were no longer furry and critter-esque, they were like a full grown human male's. He outstretched his hand, silently offering it to her. _It seems chivalry isn't dead, after all, _Kagome thought.

She took it with a grin.

* * *

Soon after they had left that dreadful place, it had started lightly drizzling, eventually turning into a heavy downpour. Kagome asked if they should stop, but Shippo was adamant and replied 'no." The rain would cover up their tracks, he had said, and it was better to keep moving.

She asked him many things, such as why the demon before had been surprised when she had purified his brother. Shippo's eyes turned dark.

"There aren't many miko left. It's illegal to be one in this time, and Naraku has had most of them exterminated." Kagome felt her insides go cold. Would that mean that Naraku would know she was in this time?

Instead of asking, she replied with a meek, "o-oh." Shippo abruptly slowed down when they neared a behemoth tree, and Kagome would begrudgingly admit that he was right. He did run fast, even with her on his back, but it was rather comfortable. He was just the right amount of squishy. Besides the icy rain, Kagome had a pleasant ride. Nevertheless, Kagome would never admit that to him. "Why'd you stop?" she inquired curiously, but the boy seemed too distracted to hear her question. Shippo let her off his back smoothly and started looking for something near the roots of the tree. Kagome let out a shiver. Being cold and wet was getting to her, but she didn't want to trouble Shippo anymore than this. Besides, he was probably as cold and wet as she was, maybe more. Finally, the boy cried out triumphantly.

"I found it!"

"W-where are we?" Kagome asked again. The boy gave her a cheeky grin.

"You'll see," he sniffed, wringing his long hair out. "Come here," he demanded, and Kagome went to his side. Just in front of him, there was a massive boulder, and the tips of his feet just barely touched it. All of a sudden, he heaved the boulder above him and beckoned for Kagome to hop in the newly discovered tunnel. It was just like a closed water slide, she told herself. After a few minutes of Kagome's indecisiveness, Shippo tried to coax her in a different way. H e shoved her in, causing her to squeal in shock which turned to full on screaming. Chuckling naughtily, Shippo hopped in himself, securing the entrance with the boulder once more before sliding down.

Kagome landed flat on her butt, letting out a frustrated screech. Shippo followed soon after, though he landed on his feet. "Grump," he teased good-naturedly, and Kagome jutted her lower lip at him.

"How come you get to be so graceful while I'm just dead on my feet? It's not fair."

"Practice, baby. Practice."

They both froze. Had he really just called her "baby?" Really? "Do you usually talk like this?" she whispered, averting her eyes while her cheeks flamed. Shippo chuckled nervously.

"Yeah, actually. Sorry, I forgot," he admitted truthfully, scratching the nape of his neck softly, barely tickling it. The two stood in awkward silence before the patter of feet alerted them to other people who were also in this abode.

A very pretty girl came trotting out from behind the corner. She had shiny and long ebony hair and glistening, ruby lips. Those lips curled into a beautiful smile when her eyes met Shippo's. "You're back!" she whispered breathily, standing still and clasping her hands together.

Then she saw Kagome. "Who is this?" she asked, turning her nose in the air. "Have you already forgotten about us, dear Shippo? Or is this one of Naraku's minions? Why I-"

"Ahem!" Kagome cleared her throat. "Shippo, I am so confused right now. Where are we?"

Shippo turned his attention to Kagome once more. "I'm part of a rebel group that is trying to liberate the people from Naraku's oppression, and this is our headquarters."

* * *

I am so sorry for updating so late! I started writing it...then life just bit me in the butt.

I would like to thank Jee07, kate, Nikkaela, maxeyn, GinKitsune, and Darktemp for reviewing! I would also like to thank shadow zombie, mew mew 124, Danone, Anber, ArmyWife22079, Darktemp, GinKitsune, and maxeyn for faving/alerting.

If it suits you to do so, drop a comment, and I promise I'll update faster this tiem. Sorry about that.


	4. Chapter 4

"Shippo, who is this girl?" the woman continued, snarky and rude. Her distaste was obvious as she turned her nose away from Kagome, and Kagome frowned a bit. She hadn't even done anything to this woman yet, let alone talk to her!

"This is Kagome, my friend," Shippo said cheerfully, extending a hand out to her for the sake of helping her stand. Kagome gratefully took it and tried to ignore the menacing stare the girl was giving her. "Kagome, this is Ranten." Kagome recognized the pattern of the name. She tried to remember. Manten, Hiten...

"Oh!" Kagome exclaimed. "You're Souten's little sister, right?"

A genuinely surprised look bloomed across Ranten's face. "How did you know that?" she asked, distrust flitting across her features. Kagome rolled her eyes and continued.

"I knew her when she was a little girl, that's all."

Shockingly, Ranten attacked.

A startled yelp escaped Kagome's mouth. She bareley dodged the attack, whatever it was, that Ranten had intended to hurt her with.

"She lies! She cannot possibly be that old!" She prepared to attack again, but Shippo stepped in between the two girls.

"Ranten, she's telling the truth. The situation is a little weird right now, and I'm trying to find a way to fix it, but I can assure you that she's telling the truth."

"Explain."

"Not now, baby. I'll tell you when we're alone later tonight."

Kagome was confused at first, however, she got the implications soon after, and her face flamed. Soon, the trio heard more footsteps approaching, and it turned out to be a bunch of men, demon and human alike, and they all had bright, gruff smiles on their faces.

"Shippo, you back, huh?" one man came up to Shippo and patted him roughly on the shoulder. He then noticed Kagome and punched Shippo in the arm.

"Ow, what did I do?"

"You just bring all the pretty girls here. First Souten, then Ranten, and now this. They all only like you too. Would you mind sharing?" That did it. Kagome marched over to the man and poked him in the chest. It might not be a good idea, but her inner voice was demanding that she went over to that moron and teach him something about respect.

"Hey, mister, I'm not some object you can just pass around with the boys. I'm a living person, and I do not want to be treated as if I'm inferior to you because I'm not."

The men all stared at her then burst out into a chorus of laughter. "Oh, this one's good, a keeper!"

"Feisty!" Another man chimed in, clapping Shippo on the back. By this point, Shippo was rubbing his temples with his fingers, hoping the men would just shut up. However, more hoots and hollers were filling up the empty space of the room, and Ranten became redder and redder. Finally, she took a deep breath to fill her lungs up with air, and a scream erupted from her body like lava from a volcano.

"I hate you, Shippo!" She screeched, tears stinging at her eyes. She then proceeded to stomp out of the room, clearly furious with the fox. Shippo panicked immediately and went after the woman throwing a tantrum. "It didn't mean anything, baby! I'm yours and nobody else's."

"You always say that but I..." Their voices kept getting dimmer and dimmer till Kagome couldn't hear anymore.

"Are they going to be all right?" Kagome asked.

A man waved a burly hand at her. "Oh, please. They're like that all the time. Ranten just needs time to calm down or else Ranten will-"

The splash of shattered glass reached their ears.

"-break something."

The men all guffawed at the irony, and Kagome couldn't help but laugh along. Who knew Shippo would get such a hothead for a woman? She was beautiful, though. Her ebony hair contrasted with her ivory skin perfectly, and Kagome almost wished she were that pale. Almost.

A couple of moments later, Shippo came back into the room, slouching terribly. "She's angry at me," he said to his friends. "And I don't even know why."

One of his buddies gave him a sympathizing look. "Well, I hope you get it sorted out. She can be nasty when she wants to be."

Shippo just shook his head, not willing to pursue the subject further. He looked to Kagome, who had felt invisible the whole time.

"I'm going to show you to your room; come along with me." Kagome nodded eagerly and followed suit after the leaving youkai. Instinctively, she reached for his hand. They, after all, had held hands all the time when he was younger. He jolted at the sensation and looked back at Kagome.

Kagome, realizing her mistake, flushed a deep crimson. "I'm sorry!" she squeaked. "Wow, that was just habit, you know? I didn't think I would do that, sorry!" Shippo shook his head.

"It's not really helping my situation out at all, but I get it." He gave her half a smile. "Let's go."

"Yes!" Kagome said a little too quickly, feeling the awkwardness of the situation seize her muscles.

He lead to her room, and the journey was silent the rest of the way. It was a room carved out of the ground with a makeshift doorway made out of beads, beads that reminded her of Kaede's hut, and wood to reinforce the barrier. The walls were thick, and there was only a bed in the room, a futon. "Stay in here," he said. "I'm going to let everyone know by tomorrow that you're here, but I have to let them know first, or some will attack you. I'll bring you some food and bring you to the bathroom later. If you need anything, Ranten's room is to your left."

"Got it." Kagome said fervently. Shippo finally gave in and smiled at her.

"You really haven't changed, have you?"

Kagome melted a bit at his smile. "Nope," she answered truthfully.

He beamed warmly at her again. "Try and get some sleep."

"I will," she promised.

Little did she know, moans and gasps from the other side of the wall would be keeping her up for half the night.

* * *

sorry it took so long. I am very bad at keeping my promises.


	5. Threat

"Kagome, for the time being, you can be Ranten's assistant."

She looked at him with displeasure. "Are you serious?" Shippou shrugged his shoulders and gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Look, I know she can be a bit...overbearing at times, but she has a good heart," he told her. Kagome wasn't convinced. Crossing her arms over her chest, she huffed in frustration.

"Okay, Shippou-chan, but only for now," Kagome gave in. Shippou smiled brightly and grabbed Kagome's hands, squeezing them gently.

"Thank you, Kagome. You won't regret this." Kagome smiled tightly, nodding her head.

* * *

Oh, he was a liar.

"Kagome, pick up those jars and follow me."

Kagome perked up. "Okay, Ranten. Where are we going?"

Ranten just made a whining sound. "Stop with the questions and just follow me." Kagome flinched at the harsh tone but did as she was told anyway.

They arrived in a room full of weapons and furniture, and there was close to no light. "Set them down," Ranten ordered, and Kagome obliged. "Close the sliding door." Kagome, suspicious, still obliged. It was now completely dark, but Kagome could still see the glow from Ranten's eyes.

"What do you want?" she asked the demoness, wary of the malicious intent permeating around her.

Ranten hissed. "That is my question. Girl from the future, what do you want?" Kagome shook her head.

"Ranten, I got here by mistake. Honest," Kagome said truthfully.

Ranten huffed and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I hope so. Because if not-" her eyes narrowed, and Kagome flinched at the intensity of her glare "-there will be consequences."

Kagome gulped and nodded.

* * *

The whole day, Ranten had been working Kagome to death.

"Kagome, pull out my chair."

"Kagome, fetch me some water."

"Kagome, carry those weapons."

"Kagome, polish my shoes."

"Kagome, fetch me my scrolls."

"Kagome, there's something on the ground. Kill it."

"Kagome-"

"What?" she shrieked, whipping around angrily. When she saw that it was only Shippou, her shoulders slumped, and she exhaled. "What?" she asked more calmly, putting on a happy facade.

Shippou eyed her wearily. "Are you all right?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" she breathed, exhausted.

Shippou shifted nervously. "Ranten isn't the easiest person to deal with. In fact, most of the assistants can't even keep up with her this long. I'm surprised you haven't ripped her head off yet."

Kagome, remembering the dangerous look she had seen in Ranten's eyes, shivered discreetly. "I'm fine," she lied. "She's a...pleasant person." Shippou sighed in relief, but he wasn't convinced.

At night, he casually strolled to the room he shared with Ranten, peeking in Kagome's room. A soft smile appeared when he saw her sleeping, though it was none too peaceful. Her eyebrows were creased, and a frown marred her face. He had to resist the urge to wake her and force her to tell him what was wrong.

Brushing aside the cloth door, he murmured a greeting to Ranten. She briefly kissed him and continued to brush her thick locks. Sitting on the futon awkwardly, he tapped his claws against his knee. Softly, he asked. "Ranten, have you been treating Kagome well?"

Ranten froze for just a moment but quickly resumed her work. "Of course I have," she scoffed. "What do you take me for? It's not like she's a threat."

Shippou swallowed, his heartbeat slowing. "I guess you're right," he laughed. Ranten chuckled and grinned slyly at him over her shoulder. Crawling over to him, she kissed him deeply and hooked her finger in his obi.

* * *

Sorry this took so long. It's not even very good. I'm losing my muse for this story, so yea... Thanks for all the reviews last time!


	6. Chapter 6

"We will be laying siege to this castle tomorrow. We have received confirmation from our insider that Naraku will be visiting it tomorrow," Shippo said loudly, pointing to the location with a stick. "I will be leading some of our men in there while the rest of you will stay here unless you're discovered." Sliding his stick, he pointed to another location on the map. "If you are discovered, destroy the base and move through the tunnels to this village. There, you will travel on foot to our next base. Understood?" All the men nodded their heads, grim expressions painted on. Shippo frowned.

Ranten looked tense. "Are you sure this is a good idea, darling?" Ranten asked quietly, something that was rather out of character for her.

Shippo looked to her. "There is a high chance of failure," he admitted, and Kagome's heart fell. Her mouth setting in determination, she clenched her fists at her sides.

"I want to go with you," she said sternly.

Ranten gasped. What was Kagome thinking? She would be killed! At best, she would be severely injured. "No, I won't let you go," she said, shaking her head.

"Why not?" Kagome snapped.

"B-because the battlefield is no place for a woman!" Ranten shot back, trying to hide her true worry. She did not like Kagome, but she would not survive a minute fighting against Naraku. She grimaced when she thought of her elder sister.

Shippo shot a glare at Ranten. "You're out of line," he bit out. Turning to Kagome, the serious look on his face did not change. "You can come, but you will be by my side the whole time. Do you understand?" Kagome nodded eagerly, the anxiety leaving her a bit. If she was by his side, then she would be able to ensure his safety.

Shippo stood up. "Now, men, get some rest! We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

* * *

They had all risen bright and early, adrenaline already pumping through their veins. It was kill or be killed today.

As they waited outside the castle, Shippo sent in the men one by one, silently, slowly. They were not doing a frontal attack. Instead, they were sneaking in, disarming any guards that they could without alerting them all. Eventually, when every man had gone inside the castle, Shippo motioned for Kagome to follow him. Barely making a sound, they tip toed through the corridors, feet barely touching the steps as they ascended the stairs. Everything had gone perfectly.

Suddenly, Kagome had a bad feeling in her gut. She could not sense the jewel or Naraku. She wondered if she should say something to Shippo; she finally decided that she should. As she opened her mouth to say something, Shippo put a finger to his lips and hushed her. Kagome was much too afraid to disobey.

Opening the doors to the very top room, Kagome's heart stopped when she saw Naraku sitting in a chair, smirking haughtily at them.

"Ho," he muttered. "It seems the little fox tyke is back." His eyes widened for a moment. "And if it isn't Kagome. I thought Inuyasha sent you back to your world ages ago. You shouldn't even be alive."

As the memories flooded back through her, Kagome began to tremble. The thought of Sango and Miroku dying as their frail, human bodies could not withstand so much damage, the thought of Inuyasha being sucked dry of his energy... it was all so frightening. She felt her heart twist at the thought of her friends. This bastard was the one who had done that to them. She felt Shippo shaking in anger beside her. He was prepared to attack, and Kagome realized something much too late. Something was missing, there was no-

Shippo charged.

"Wait!" Kagome cried out, but it was too late. He had cut Naraku straight through the middle. Naraku was surprised for one moment, but then his face broke out into a terrible grin. Kagome ran to Shippo. "Shippo, we have to go. Now!" she said frantically.

"But I just-"

"That's not Naraku!" she bit out in a hushed tone. Shippo narrowed his eyes at her.

"Yes, it is! Just look-"

As Shippo started to finish his sentence, Naraku's body began to disintegrate until all that was left was a tiny, wooden doll with some hair looped around it. Shippo suddenly froze.

"No," he whispered, his fists tightening at his sides. "No!"

He jumped through the window with Kagome on his back, not willing to waste any time. Upon reaching the ground, they were surrounded. Looking past the guards, Kagome saw their fallen comrades. She could not sense a living ally there. "Shippo, run!" she demanded.

"But-"

"Just do it!" she screamed.

So he ran. They ran far, far away from the castle, and Kagome felt drops at Shippo's chin. She smelled the salt. She could not look back. Not now.

* * *

Sorry for the lateness!


	7. Chapter 7

It had begun to rain.

Since the failed invasion and seeing the death of all their allies, Shippo had not said a word. Kagome trailed behind him a few steps, hesitant to get near the man. Though she was sad and scared, she had not known their fallen comrades personally. However, some of them had probably been Shippo's closest friends.

His fists were clenched, and his head was hung down. The rain started beating down upon the earth. Kagome covered her head with her hand, wishing she had an umbrella.

"Shippo, it's really starting to come down." No response. Kagome frowned and waited a few moments before trying again. "We should find shelter."

"Find shelter yourself!" he snapped, and Kagome took a few steps back, startled by his angry face. "You humans are so weak," he spat out, marching towards her aggressively. Kagome backed up into a tree and resisted the urge to curl into a ball. "It's because you're so weak that this happened!" Kagome shook her head biting down on her lip so hard she was sure it had drawn blood. She knew he was grieving, and he didn't know how to deal with it. Still, it didn't mean the words didn't sting. "This is all your fault!"

He stomped away from her, his shoulders hunched. Kagome sunk down the trunk of the tree and tried to stop her trembling. She realized that a stray tear had made its way down her face, and she cursed, hastily wiping it away.

She had to be strong for both of them. She could not allow herself to cry.

* * *

Though he had screamed at her to find her own shelter, Shippo had quickly found a little opening beneath the uprooting of a tree. It functioned a fairly tiny cave, and Kagome could live with that. It was no comparison to her bed back at home, but it'd have to do for now.

The temperature had drastically dropped, and Kagome felt a chill runt through her. Shippo, with just one icy look, instructed her to stay in the shelter. Kagome wanted to argue, but after feeling the cold aura coming off him, she reluctantly agreed. He came back minutes later, carrying sticks of wood in his arms. He had actually gathered quite a bit, and Kagome offered to help. He, as predicted, denied her help.

After assembling the sticks in a way he deemed fit, he lit them with his fox fire. Though their shelter was far warmer than it had been, Kagome was still very cold. Her clothes were soaking, and they clung loosely to her small frame. She felt wind from the outside brush past her, and she could not contain the noise of displeasure that made its way past her lips. She looked at Shippo warily. She didn't know if it was appropriate or not to undress in front of him, but she knew that if she stayed in her wet clothes, she would come down with a cold or worse. Shaking her head, she sighed. He had already seen her naked two hundred years ago. So what if he was older? It'd be fine.

Shippo turned his head and gasped as Kagome began lifting her shirt over her head. "W-what are you doing?" he stammered loudly, backing himself up as far away from her as possible. A hint of red tainted his cheeks, but Kagome took no notice of it as she hung her shirt on one of the uplifted roots inside their little cave.

"My clothes are too wet," she replied simply. Shrugging, she said, "You've seen me naked before. No big deal, right?"

Shippo nearly smacked himself in the face. "I…I was a kid back then! It's different now, Kagome. Blushing furiously now (especially as she was taking off her skirt), he quickly rid himself of his fur coat and threw it at her. "Wear that! If you're still cold after that, stay close to me." he demanded, turning away from her. Kagome held it in her hands gingerly.

"Thank you." Her cheeks were tinted red as well, but Shippo of course could not see. She took off her bra and panties, hanging them near her shirt and skirt. Luckily, the fur coat had two strings in the front that she could use to tie the front together. It seemed that Shippo never used them himself, but Kagome now figured he was in no hurry to see her body.

The temperature was plummeting even more, and Kagome shuffled closer to Shippo. She hoped he would take the hint so she wouldn't have to ask, but it seemed he was being purposefully dense.

"Um, Shippo?" she said meekly, curling inward. "I'm still cold."

Shippo finally peeked back at her. He held his arms out. "Come here."

Kagome crawled over to him, and he gathered her in his arms. He was almost impossibly warm. Kagome let a shiver go through her as she felt the cold leave her. "Thank you," she whispered.

Shippo chuckled mirthlessly. "I should be the on thanking you. I would have died back there if not for you." His hold on her tightened. "I shouldn't have said such things to you, Kagome. I'm sorry."

Kagome was silent, but Shippo knew he was forgiven. They laid there in silence, appreciating the other's presence.

"It's kind of like how it used to be, huh?" Kagome mumbled.

* * *

i am sooooo sorry for the long wait. I finally had time to update. :( Sorry yet again.


	8. Chapter 8

Kagome awoke, almost overly warm. She felt Shippo's breath ghost over her neck, and she shivered despite herself. Suddenly aware that she was very naked, Kagome moved Shippo's hand slightly so he wasn't touching her breasts. She gulped. It had felt kind of nice…

She heard Shippo stir, and she froze in place, not accustomed to this type of situation. How was she supposed to react? Just casually say good morning, pretend nothing happened? She felt Shippo slowly get up and pretended to still be asleep, forcibly deepening her breathing.

She nearly let out a gasp when she felt Shippo brush back her hair and sigh. He then left their cozy little space, probably to take care of business. Slowly, she got up, covering her breasts, and she quickly put on all her clothes. When Shippo came back, Kagome swore she saw some disappointment in his eyes as he sighed.

"What's the plan for today?" Kagome asked, brushing dust off her skirt as she stood. Shippou grabbed his fur coat and wrapped it around himself.

"We have to find headquarters." Shippou said. "This morning, I checked to see if they were still at our last location. It seems they were probably discovered so they moved to a new hiding place." He scratched the back of his head. "It's going to be a struggle to find them again."

The two set off, an awkward silence settling between them. Shippo constantly glanced at Kagome, as if he was assessing her physical well-being. Kagome felt her chest twist at his caring ways, but she still felt reluctant to talk to him. After all, the last night had been rather…strange. She still remembered how warm his chest had felt on her back, how safe she felt in his arms. As wrong as it was, she wanted to feel that again. She even felt that she wanted more.

There was no doubt that Shippo had become a…rather strapping young man. He was handsome and muscular, and he was sweet as always. Kagome felt her gut sink. This was Shippo she was talking about! Cute, little Shippo! The charming little fox kit that liked lollipops and would always try to comfort her.

She suddenly heard Shippo's voice in her ear, and she shuddered involuntarily. "Are you getting tired?" They had been walking for around four straight hours now. Before, Kagome could do this, no sweat! However, it had been more than a year, and she was badly out of shape. She didn't want to be a burden, however.

"I can keep going," she insisted, and Shippo rolled his eyes at her.

He squatted down and turned his head toward her. "Hop on. We'll find a good camping site and rest in a few hours." Kagome hesitated, but she eventually nodded her head in agreement. She climbed onto his back.

* * *

A few hours later, Kagome's eyelids fluttered, and she let out a sleepy yawn. She realized it was dark and that she had fallen asleep on Shippo's broad back. He had laid her out on the ground, covering her with the fur coat. She slowly got up and blushed when she realized that his clothes were sprawled out on the ground.

"Oh!" she heard Shippo's voice call out. "You're awake. I caught fish."

Kagome nearly drooled at the sight of him. He was clad only in a loincloth, and the moonlight shone on his body in such a way that accentuated his tight, muscled body. Kagome looked away as he started coming closer, fish in hand. He staked them over the fire and Kagome tried to concentrate on the smell rather than how naked Shippo was. Still, she couldn't help but peek at how his muscles flexed as he did just ordinary things, not even anything remarkable. Biting her lip, she shook her head and took a chomp out of her fish.

"Kagome, you want to keep going for the night?" Kagome noticed the dark circles under his eyes, and she shook her head slowly.

"I think you need a break," she muttered, getting up from her kneeling position. Settling herself behind him, she placed her small hands on his shoulders. "Let me…help you relieve some stress. I'll give you a back rub."

Shippo seemed to stiffen underneath her fingers, but he nodded. "That would be nice." Kagome smiled at him.

Beginning to knead his shoulders, Kagome smiled sadly. "I remember you when you were so small." She giggled lightly. "You were so feisty. Still are." She ruffled his hair. "But you've grown up to be so mature." So handsome.

Shippo seemed almost to be getting even more tense under her, leaning back into her chest. His breathing started getting heavier, and his face was flushed. Kagome moved her hands to his chest, but he grabbed her hands roughly. She gasped when she came face to face with him, her back pressed against the tree.

"Stop it," he grunted. Kagome's lips quivered.

"What's wrong?" she mumbled, staring straight into his eyes.

"Don't pretend you don't know how I feel about you." Kagome sharply inhaled when he pressed his lips against hers, cupping her face with warm hands.

Kagome didn't know that she had been waiting for that for so long, but she sighed as his lips massaged hers. Grasping his shoulders, Kagome pressed herself closer to him, trying to warm herself. Shippo roughly grabbed her hips and deepened the kiss before breaking away with a deep breath.

"That's how I feel about you," he whispered, leaning away from the panting girl.

"I…need to take a walk." Her legs were wobbly, and she walked away.


End file.
